Page 103 of My Secret Snowflake
Jazmine’sstudioapartmentispacked with people. I make my way through those congregating in the hallway, excusing myself as I slip through, and drop off my Secret Snowflake gift in the box decorated with blue paper and snowflakes in the living room/bedroom corner. Two people are having a conversation, wine glasses in hand, over the box.
I say hello to Jazmine. She tells me Iris went to the kitchen to fill up the ice bucket. Jazmine’s queen-size bed is pushed against the wall with a mountain of coats on one side and some people sitting on the edge like it’s a couch facing the official couch. A small Christmas tree fills one corner. A set of red, green, and black candles sits on the short bookshelf by the north wall in a wooden candleholder, ready for Kwanza at the end of the month. A menorah is in the center of the dining room table, surrounded by a feast.
“There,” Jazmine says. “She’s at the food table by the windows.”
Iris looks up and smiles at me. I’ll never get tired of seeing that light beam.
I pass through more people, saying hello to the ones from work I now know, so it takes me a bit of time.
Finally. I go to kiss Iris hello, but she backs up and whispers, “Too many work people here.”
I kiss her quickly on the cheek instead.
She nods.
“Did you have dinner?” Iris asks. “Jazmine is an amazing cook. I left space for her latkes.”
“I had lunch with my dad, but I love latkes.”
Jazmine’s latkes are deliciously crunchy and flavorful. Our work colleagues are much more cheerful. There’s a feeling that the storm may have passed because Xavier made another speech, telling everyone the company is not going to be shuttered.
Jazmine claps her hands together and thanks us all for celebrating the first night of Hanukkah with her.
“I want to read a passage from one of my favorite children’s books about Hannukah,” Jazmine says. “It’s calledThe Hanukkah of Great-Uncle Ottoby Myron Levoy. I loved this book as a child, and I want to share its message about love.”
Jazmine reads a passage about how, on Hanukkah, one light becomes two lights the next night, and then three lights the third night, and that’s how kindness spreads. One kind act begets another.
Jazmine tears up as she reads the passage. Iris slips her hand into mine and squeezes. I squeeze her hand back.
Jazmine lights the first candle. She then invites everyone to pick out their secret snowflake gift.
Iris unwraps her gift. “The moviePillow Talk. And it’s from…” She looks at the back of the card. “You?”
“One of my mom’s favorites,” I say. “I was passing by Barnes & Noble, and they had it in their sale DVDs.”
“I like your pillow talk,” she whispers.
“Do you?” I ask. Suddenly, I understand Wim. I want to go home right now with Iris and explore some more pillow talk.
“What did you get?”
I unwrap my gift. It’s body soap.
“We can find a use for that too.” She winks at me.
Yes, I definitely want to be a caveman, pick her up, and go home right now.
“How was Raphael?” I ask.
“He was good. Thank you for suggesting that he be released from the NDA,” she says. “I gave him back his copy ofZero Trust Networks, but he said I could keep it.”
Aaron and Jazmine are cuddling in a corner.Lucky.
I understand it’s a work environment thing and that dating a coworker can impact her professional reputation negatively, but still. Kevin is gone. Hank is an idiot, and I don’t want to live my life catering to his narrowmindedness. I worry it’s something else. I want to shout from the rooftops that we’re together now.
Especially because Ernest keeps putting his hand on Iris’s arm, and I’m stuck here as a neutral observer. At this point, it’s not exactly fair to Ernest either.
He tells us he was out of the office today because he was interviewing for another job—but don’t tell Jazmine.
